Undercover

Chapter 5 - The Room?

Slam! There was silence for a bit. Not too long though. Then they slowly began to feel their abilities returning.

"Crap we're stuck," Travis screamed after banging the door that they just entered from. "Breathe, keep your cool. This is probably just a test to prove your puzzle-solving skills to the test and,"

But before Travis could finish there was a loud clack and, "Found it! Hah. Oldest trick in the book. For agent people, they sure make it easy to find things. Especially if it's the key to the next door."

Travis looked dumbfounded. "Wha, there is no way you found the key in less than 2 minutes and 31 seconds."

"Dude, never in my life have I ever met a person who counts the seconds and minutes."

"Wait, but how do you know where to look?" Travis just had to ask because it was simply impossible.

"Well, since we are in this room and it does remind me of a spy movie I watched not too long ago. The Great Fall!!" Gabriell said the name with such enthusiasm and rather dramatically though. Add the background music and flashes of lightning and I'll be perfect. "And in that movie, Kale the main character found the secret vault behind a painting. So I did that."

Travis was amazed by that explanation but something kept tripping him off, "Umm... wait before we leave I think we should examine this room one more time. I mean I don't sense any tech around but who knows."

And so, Travis went on searching through every crook and cranny as Gabriell rolled his eyes and began to insert the key into the keyhole. It clicked open. Just as it was expected to do.

"I knew it! Ha!" Travis said out of nowhere with an unexceptionally loud voice.

Gabriell rolled his eyes again as he mumbled something about can't believing out of all the partners that he could have been with it had been Travis.

"Here is a note with a riddle on it," It says, as Travis began to read it out loud.

'What doesn't have words but tells a story.'

"And the answer is the painting! You skipped through the whole thing and to find this paper that I'm holding you must solve this puzzle box that I found under a loose floorboard," Travis began explaining but stopped when he realises that  Gabriell was no longer in the room. "Hey wait up! You should not leave....."

His words were cut short when he saw what was in the next room. It was a blank corridor. Travis just shrugged and walked forward.

"What the heck do you think you're doing!"

It was Gabriell.

"I mean, I don't expect you to see it because my ability allows me to amplify human energy to my advantage but seriously I thought you would sense the tech," Gabriell said.

"Yea, yea you're right and I'm sorry. I'm running the math right now." was all Travis said before he started to mumble to himself about some equation. Which did earn him an eye roll from Gabriell.

Gabriell had to give out an impatient huff before saying," Why not you disable the machine?"

"What do you think I'm doing big head!?" Travis snapped. "Now if you excuse me, I got to continue my algorithm."

It didn't take long until the lazers cleared. The next room earned Gabriell the biggest smile and Travis the longest sigh.

"Of course it was par-core and if you fall, you fall into a pool of crocodiles but wait! what is that?" Travis pointed to a pile of junk in the corner. "You think I've got to build something?" there was no reply.

Travis turned his head around to see Gabriell attempting to jump to reach the pole and failing miserably again and again.

"Hey man, I thought you have amplified power or something," Travis asked.

"I amplify the energy of the person within my range and that means that I am amping your energy plus mine to my advantage," Gabriell explained clearly still not giving up. Stubborn was the best word to put it. " And clearly it is not strong enough! I don't get it! Why give an obstacle course if it is impossible?"

"Because we need the gadget to help us. That's why you got me. I don't mean to brag but I'm quite the inventor."

Gabriell could clearly tell that he was bragging. A couple of minutes went by before, "I'm done!"

"What is that?" Gabriell asked.

"It's grabbling hooks," Travis replied.

"It doesn't look like one?"

"Can you give me a break? I mean this is the best thing I could make with this heap of junk."

"Yea, yea whatever. How do we use it? you've already wasted enough of my time here."

"You know what!" Travis snapped. His face all red with fury."If you're so great do it yourself then!" Then he pointed his grabbling hook upwards and launching the hook. It clung to the pole. Travis gave Gabriell an angry look before pulling himself up the pole.

It clearly wasn't hooked on properly because halfway up, the hook slipped and Travis plumbed to the ground. At full speed. At any rate, he was going to get eaten by crocodiles. His life flashed right before his eyes in slow motion. All the things he never got to do. All the people he never got to see again. This was the end of the line. He was going to die. But when all hope was lost. Something hooked onto his leg firmly and was pulling him up and to safety. It was Gabriell. Travis gave him a confused look.

"What? I'm mean but not heartless," Gabriell said with a half-smirk on his face.

Travis was breathing so loudly and fast clearly traumatized by the whole situation. He then hugged Gabriell and began to cry with tears of joy.

"Eww, dude stop killing the moment. I want to continue feeling my heroism and not some 'cry-fest.

Travis let go of Gabriell and they both laughed at that for quite some time.

"Hey, I'm sorry for treating you the way I did. That's just who I am you know," Gabriell apologised.

"And I'm sorry for being angry too. Hey, let's finish this course shall we?"

"Yeah sure."